Supporting Students as a University Employee

If approached by an alleged victim of sexual harassment or sexual violence it is important to be aware that the individual is choosing to tell you about a very traumatic incident. Active listening will be a key skill as well as emotional support, guidance, and direction. The following is recommended when interacting with an alleged victim of sexual harassment or sexual violence:

Address the victim by name.

Introduce yourself by name and position and explain your role at the university. This is also the time to tell the victim of your reporting obligations and whether or not you can maintain confidentiality. Victims of sexual harassment or sexual violence need clear boundaries and role definitions from those professionals who offer help because their personal boundaries have been violated.

“I need to let you know that I am required to report what you have shared with me to the OSU-Tulsa police department for the purpose of crime statistics. I will not be reporting your name unless you provide consent for me to do so. However, OSU policy and federal laws require that I report all of what you have shared with me to the appropriate university officials [Title IX Coordinator, Student Conduct].”

According to Board of Regents policy, the Campus Police Department should be contacted immediately if the incident happened on campus and the Tulsa Police Department should be contacted if the incident happened off campus.

University employees must notify the office of Student Conduct (918-594-8234)for issues regarding students and Title IX office for issues regarding employees (918-594-8222).

In the case of sexual assault, provide the student with information about the OSU-Tulsa Victim Advocate (918-200-5595)and the 24 hour Rape Crisis Line (918-743-5763).

Encourage the student to seek immediate health care through Hillcrest Medical Center or with a personal physician.

Encourage the student to seek counseling. Counseling options are provided through the OSU-Tulsa Counseling Clinic (918-594-8568) and in the community.

Offer information concerning the OSU student conduct process, and the reporting student’s options to file a complaint with the University alleging another student violated University policy.

Offer information to the student concerning accommodations to be made as needed for the student to feel safe and continue in school.

Help the student generate a list of people in her/his life who may be able to provide non-judgmental, confidential support.

If appropriate, make a plan to follow-up with the student.

Guidelines for University Employees

If you are an employee, when an incident of sexual harassment or other crime is reported to you, there are three simple steps that you should follow to ensure that you have fulfilled your obligations.

Inform the individual that you have to report the incident and provide resources.

Get the facts.

Report the incident to the appropriate individuals.

Inform the individual you have to report the incident and provide resources

Please tell the person reporting the incident to you that you must report what happened. For example,

“I need to let you know that I am required to report what you have shared with me to the Campus Police for the purpose of crime statistics. I will not be reporting your name unless you provide consent for me to do so. However, OSU policy and federal laws require that I report all of what you have shared with me to the appropriate university officials [Title IX Coordinator, Student Conduct].”

There is a distinct difference between what the Clery Act requires university officials report to Campus Police and what Title IX requires university officials to report internally.

When reporting to Campus Police, the Clery Act generally does not require the victim’s name unless the victim consents. More information and even revealing the victim’s name is sometimes necessary in order to maintain a safe learning environment. If more information is needed after you report, you might be asked to follow up with the victim or ask the victim permission to share their name so the police can follow up with the individual.

The data compiled at the end of the year in the annual security report contains no names of the victims or perpetrators.

When reporting to the Title IX Coordinator or Student Conduct, Title IX requires that you provide both the victim and alleged individual’s names and details of what you know. The university is required to take immediate and appropriate steps to investigate what occurred and take prompt and effective action to fulfill the following:

End the harassment

Prevent any recurrence

Remedy the effects

The university will not be able to fulfill its federal requirements and maintain a learning environment if you do not share all the information.

Lastly, there are a number of campus and community resources available to victims of crimes. Please inform the individual about his/her option to report directly to law enforcement; however, you should not try to convince the person to speak to the police if they are unwilling to do so.

Get the facts

First, if a crime is currently ongoing or you feel that it is an emergency, call 911.

Assuming that there is not an ongoing emergency, you must first get the facts of the incident. Facts would include the date and time the incident occurred, where the incident occurred, the details of what occurred, and the date it was reported to you. This information is important to determine if this incident has been reported by others.

You do not have to prove what happened or who was at fault; appointed individuals will investigate. In addition, do not try to apprehend the individual accused of a crime.

Report the incident to the appropriate individuals.

After the facts have been collected and the individual has been informed of the report and provided resources, you now must report the incident to the appropriate officials.

If a student is involved, contact Student Conduct at 918-594-8234. When a student is not involved, only faculty and/or staff, call the university’s Title IX Coordinator at 918-594-8222.

Who to Report to about Sexual Violence

Student Involved

Student Conduct & OSU-Tulsa Police Department

No Student Involved

Title IX Coordinator & OSU-Tulsa Police Department

Who to Report to about Sexual Harassment

Student Involved

Student Conduct

No Student Involved

Title IX Coordinator

Reporting for Faculty and Staff (Non-Student) Instances

Faculty and staff shall report any instances of sexual harassment and sexual violence by another faculty or staff member to the Title IX Coordinator at OSU-Tulsa in Main Hall 1405 or 918-594-8222. The university also strongly encourages individuals to report any instances to Campus Police.

Clery Reporting

University employees’ obligations to report criminal activity extends beyond your obligation to report sexual harassment and sexual violence. Under the Clery Act, university employees are required to report the following crimes to Campus Police:

Stalking

Dating violence

Domestic violence

Aggravated assaults

Hate crimes

Burglary

Motor vehicle theft

Robbery

Arson

Criminal homicide

Arrests and disciplinary referrals for violations of liquor, drug and weapon laws

Definitions of these crimes are provided online at the reporter does not need to make a determination on the specific crime; he or she just needs to report it.

Generally speaking, the Clery Act has exhaustive guidance regarding locations of crimes and what must be reported. In order to simplify this guidance, if you become aware of one of these crimes, on campus, off campus but closely related to the university, or at a university sponsored event, err on the side of caution and report it.

The Clery Act also includes requirements regarding reporting of missing students. Any employee who receives a report of a missing student should call Campus Police immediately.

Faculty and Staff Complaint Process

If an employee believes that he or she has been the victim of sexual discrimination, sexual harassment or has information about sexual discrimination/ sexual harassment in the university community, he or she may promptly report, without fear of reprisal, the facts of the incident and the name(s) of the individual(s) involved to the Title IX Coordinator at OSU-Tulsa in 1405 Main Hall. This report initiates a complaint.

Alternatively, an employee may report the situation to his or her immediate supervisor, department head, or Dean, who will immediately notify the Title IX Coordinator of the report. This report initiates a complaint. Supervisors must immediately report any complaints they receive or incidents of alleged harassment or discrimination they witness to the Title IX Coordinator.

The Title IX Coordinator (or an alternate investigator, where appropriate) will promptly, fairly and thoroughly investigate all claims of harassment and discrimination. All complaints of discrimination and harassment will be treated in the strictest confidence possible under the particular circumstances.

Upon receipt of a complaint, the Title IX Coordinator (or alternate investigator) will make every effort, within 30 calendar days, to complete a thorough investigation of the allegations. However, if additional time is needed to conduct a thorough investigation, the Title IX Coordinator may extend the time for completing the investigation as reasonably necessary. In this case, the complainant and the respondent will be notified of the estimated time needed to complete the investigation.

The investigation will include interviews with the complaining party, the respondent, and any material witnesses identified, as well as a review of any documents or other evidence. The complaining party and the respondent will be kept apprised of the conduct of the investigation and will be given the opportunity to provide any additional relevant information to the investigator, including the names of additional witnesses to contact and/or additional documents to review before the investigation is closed. The complainant and respondent will be promptly notified of the final determination. The Title IX Coordinator has no independent authority to impose sanctions.

If the Title IX Coordinator finds that there has been a violation and if the Dean or division head seeks advice as to the appropriate penalty, the Title IX Coordinator may provide a recommendation as to the appropriate sanction. The Dean or division head will then be responsible for deciding upon and imposing disciplinary action as soon as reasonably possible.

Sanctions imposed on those individuals who have been found to be in violation of the university’s nondiscrimination policy shall be commensurate with the severity and/or frequency of the conduct and shall be adequate and sufficient to prevent such conduct in the future. Staff members who receive disciplinary penalties under this policy may consult Human Resources for information about the grievance process, which may be used to challenge alleged violations, misinterpretations, or inequitable application of policies or procedures. Faculty members who receive disciplinary penalties under OSU’s nondiscrimination policies may contact the Provost for information about the grievance process.